Pages

LinkWithin

Thursday, July 28, 2011

as a kid i had a thing against pulpy fruit yogurt -- it reminded me of snot. i preferred the plain, vanilla or lemon flavored yogurts because the fruit flavored ones? they had a concentration of the pulpy snot at the bottom that grossed me out. if i *had* to eat the fruit yogurt, i would skim the top and then sneak chuck out the rest when i reached the bottom. so wasteful, i know.

you'll be happy to know that i've since outgrown that habit. i'm still particular about what kind of fruit i like in my yogurt (eff off banana, pineapple, kiwi and other weirdo combos) and i used to only only only buy breyers blueberry. until i got introduced to chobani. greek yogurt is thick because it's been strained to remove whey (the excess liquid) and the end product has a consistency of soft cheese. you can make it yourself with cheese cloth & strainer, and dw has expressed an interest in doing it but i'd rather just buy the stuff.

we've made frozen yogurt twice this summer. i've been on a froyo kick lately, what with so many buffet style frozen yogurt shops out there. that adds up. the first time we used fage, mixed it with a bit of honey and regular organic yogurt to loosen it up. it was amazing, sweet & tart, cold & refreshing. this past weekend we used chobani and threw in some chunky in season peaches. we thought about pulverizing the fruit but the fear of snotty fruit came back and i nixed that thought.

mix all ingredients except for the peaches in a bowl until flavor is incorporated. then, gently, fold in the chopped peaches. add to ice cream maker & churn according to manufacturer's instructions.

be warned, first out of the machine, it does have the frozen yogurt consistency but once in the freezer, it does freeze into a block of ... yogurt. it does not have the creamy texture of ice cream, nor is it easy to scoop. that doesn't stop me tho.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

with this heat that has descended upon the east coast, i've been unable to write -- not because i am lacking in internet hookup but because it appears that the sun has made my brain into a desert and i am wallowing in this scorching madness that is july. i am a sweaty mess, grumpy to the core and the worst? i feel fat. sweaty hot AND heifer-feeling. not a good combo, friends.

if time permits and we plan accordingly, dw will make me a to-go smoothie in the morning to wake me up and hopefully cheer me up without making me feel bloated. he introduced me to the Vitamix this year (how i lived my life prior to this introduction is beyond me!) which pulverizes everything into a smooth, creamy frenzy and the end product provides the best brain freeze ever. desert for a brain vs. brain freeze? come on, friends, which would you choose?

Thursday, July 21, 2011

it's past the middle of july. i feel like i haven't done anything, tho every single weekend since the end of March has been booked solid. you know how it is, don't roll your eyes, you're busy too. there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day to fit everything i want to do, must less need to do. it's all so tragic, isn't it?

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

having two avid cooks/bakers in one kitchen can be chaotic. usually, it's one or the other who's puttering in front of the stove. i tend to read while dw puts together a meal, and he in turn, tries to help me when i take on the duties but as he once told me, i'm usually blissfully unaware of anything and everything around me while i'm measuring and/or stirring.

it's not that i think of cooking as a solitary activity, it's just that i haven't learned to cook with anyone. also, it's a different style approach. dw talks out loud, he likes to have all the dishes washed & put away, have everything mise en place before he even turns on the stove/oven. me? i prep to a certain point, get bored and then go full speed ahead (if rachael ray and giada di laurentiis can do, damnit, so can i!). i am also capable of working with a full sink of dirty dishes & a minuscule amount of counter top space. yes, i've gotten burned, burned food and well, i see the benefit of doing it dw style, but i still prefer my method.

there's nothing wrong with either of our styles... unless both methods are being utilized in one kitchen. when i made this buckle for a dinner with friends in DC, he was in the midst of cleaning up the kitchen AND trying to come up with a dish for another dinner with another set of friends, locally. i was trudging along like no one else was in the space with me, while he was trying to accommodate my erratic movements and early morning stupor. at the time we were short on temper but now looking back, i can only roll my eyes. how many people can truly say they can cook & bake with their darling loves??

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

the best men tell you the truth because they think you can take it; the worst men either try to preserve you in some innocent state with their false protection or are 'brutally honest'. when someone tells you the truth, lets you think for yourself, experience your own emotions, he is treating you as a true equal, as a friend. and the best men cook for you. ~Whitney Otto, How to Make an American Quilt

taste is a funny thing. i used to have a penchant for sour foods, i loved sour patch kids and lemon drops when i was younger, now i lean more towards the salty. i used to hate bitter foods like bittergourd, but now i dig it... specifically that vegetable. i tried swiss chard raw this summer and it was not pleasant. that kind of bitter taste is reminiscent of the time when i would shove as much food in my mouth as possible, excuse myself to the bathroom and upchuck it all in the toilet to be flushed.

with that image in mind, i present to you dw's remedy to the bitter swiss chard. cooked. doused in oil flavored with garlic & onions. he made this for me days after i pouted my way thru a plate of raw chard salad, promising that cooked it's much better. in the end, to accommodate my taste, i added my own splash of soy sauce & sriracha. don't judge me. soy sauce is a serious comfort condiment & i had to be sure the bitterness of the chard was gone. dw was honestly not offended, you shouldn't be either.

Swiss Chard with Linguine

Generous pile of greens (Chard, Kale, etc.)

Sliced onion

Garlic

Capers

Olives

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Pecorino Romano

Fresh ground black pepper

Linguine - cooked to taste

soy sauce & sriracha seriously optional

yeah, sorry about the lack of exact measurements. i'd say this served 5-6 people, and it's really all about taste & your preference. dw & i like strong flavors so he was heavy handed with the garlic, olives and capers. this is just a guideline for the this dish.

saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent and fragrant. throw in the chopped greens, it will wilt down. season with pepper. when they've reduced significantly, add in the capers and olives. mix thoroughly. at the last second add in the pasta, maybe a ladle of the pasta cooking water. splash with a bit of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately, topped with grated pecorino romano if desired.

from the bay area, mai went with a sweet concoction, Taro and sticky rice pudding with coconut milk. *to clarify, she did not create this sweet dish, it's just an "overview of different dishes that can be made with/from taro" as it's one of her favorite veggies.

from San Diego, CA, Nam made a gorgeous young jackfruit salad, Gỏi Mít Trộn, perfect for this summer heat.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

it's amazing how more involved i've become in thinking about the nourishment of my body - what i put into my body is important to me now more than ever. i am mindful of the ingredients that i use, not only the measurement amounts (ok, fine, a general idea of the amounts!) but also, where the ingredients came from. it's not enough that they're local & organic, but how were they cultivated? by whom? and as a meat-eater, how were the animals treated, what were they fed and how were they slaughtered? these are questions that i think about now when i hit up the grocery stores. these are questions that dw wonders as he's researching farmers stands at the local farmers' markets.

i'm hosting this month's Delicious Vietnam event, so i made bo luc lac, shaking beef stir fry, for our dinner. the beef is a top roast cut, grass-fed and expensive as hell. but dw & i don't eat meat much, so when we do, it had better be good. the top roast was intended for another dish with garlic scape but that was nixed in favor of this wonderful treat that i rarely had as a child & sometimes indulge in when at fancy schmancy viet restaurants. typically this is served over a bed of watercress, with tomatoes & vinergary onions. using what we had grabbed at the local markets, i served this with luscious ripe avocados, thinly sliced english cucumbers, on a bed of purslane & lettuce leaves. it was delicious but i was most happy that dw devoured it. because we talked about our respective childhood dinners, what appeared on our dinner tables, and how it's come full circle to what appears on our dinner table now.

honestly, when i spoke with grandma about this, she told me to beat the meat (HAHAHA. i am so immature. sorry about that) to tenderize it. and to marinade it for at least 2 hours. no frills, no sugar, salt, fish sauce or soy sauce. (dw came home during his lunch break to beat the meat {snicker} to allow it to marinate for the rest of the afternoon)

frying it up was scary. dw & i were standing there watching the oil heat up & then we moved quickly, two grown people cooking up this beef. you just have to move quickly, dodge oil splatters & ensure you get good caramelization on the meat.

serve atop the salad, maybe drizzle a simple vinaigrette over top & eat with a bowl of rice.

Wandering Chopsticks has a more complete ingredient list & method that you can refer to, in case gma's recipe isn't complete enough.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

repeated ~ berry picking, this time for raspberries in the early morn sun with a dear blog friend.

sang ~ or attempted to sing the Star Spangled Banner with my darling love. it was a fail but we giggled like children in the late summer nite.

sweated ~ thru the hours of the long weekend, with the fan on full throttle. the heat was scorching, the air so thick it rivaled the cake batter, but it didn't deter us from clasping hands.

watched ~ falling skies. i may have yelped in fear a few times but dw was right beside me.

baked ~ a flag cake. only i mis-timed one of the layers and as a result, had to reverse the blue part. (confession: boxed cake mix + food coloring) (redemption: the icing was from scratch & it made the cake)

bbq'd ~ by the water. there may have been some fishing, competitive croquet & fireworks.